Oh my God, this took so long! Welp, hopefully you guys will love it...
"AUNT NARCISSA! Where is he?! Where's Serpens?!"
A thirteen-year-old shouted as he entered his Uncle's manor. The boy's soft, black curly hair, usually combed back neatly, bordered his pale face, a result of his constant nervous tugging. His face was almost perfect, with his high aristocratic cheekbones and smooth defined jawbones. To anyone else, his gorgeousness might have been intimidating, but not to his family. His pink, full, pouty lips were curled in a snarl, "how dare that old coot do this to my brother?! How dare he touch a hair on his head?!" Anger radiated off of him, and his usually brown eyes were glowing blood red. Behind him stood Draco, his fists clenching and opening as he tried to calm himself.
"Orion! Control yourself! Since when did we start screaming bloody murder when we're angry?!" Narcissa bit out as she glided down the stairs.
Orion closed his eyes, taking in a calming breath and fighting to control his temper. He strengthened his Occlumency shields and hid all his emotions behind them. Once he was sure he wouldn't explode with anger, he opened his eyes again. Narcissa smiled when she saw their familiar brown color, "the Dark Lord is on his way with Serpens. Your introduction to Serpens would have to be short as he and Lucius should be heading to the court in a few moments. The Dark Lord will be staying though, so you'll get to meet your father"
Orion's breath caught in his throat. He'd been dreaming about this ever since he was old enough to understand that his father was the Dark Lord. "I have to get ready," he spoke, wasting no time in running to his room. He took a quick shower, combed his hair back neatly, dressed in his finest robes and scoured his teeth. He was done just in time, it seemed, as a house elf appeared in the room. "Young Master must go to the dining room," it said. Orion nodded before starting to make his way to the formal dining room. He stopped outside the door, taking a reassuring breath. He heard a deep, silky voice then, a voice he had never heard before, a voice he was sure belonged to his father, "what of his education?"
"Narcissa, Severus, and I have each taught him, along with Draco, the subjects of Hogwarts, with a few added essentials. I taught them Politics, History, Astronomy, Arithmancy and Ancient Runes. Narcissa taught them proper etiquette, Charms, Transfiguration, basic healing and care for Magical creatures. Severus taught them Potions, Herbology, dueling, and Occlumency," Lucius' voice came.
"You have not taught them the Dark Arts or Leglimancy"
"No, My Lord. We thought you could teach them that better than we could"
Suddenly, the door Orion was standing behind flew open to reveal him. Orion gulped, he knew he should've entered the moment he arrived instead of just eavesdropping. He stared at the people in the room, Uncle Lucius, Aunt Cissa, Draco, Serpens (Harry)... and his father.
Orion tried to look confident as he entered the room. He wanted to set a good impression on his father. His eyes almost grew to the size of saucers when his father stood up and started walking towards him though. He hoped his father would accept him and be proud of him. But before that, what was he supposed to do now? Should he hug him? No. That's absurd. His father is the Dark Lord. Dark Lords don't hug. A handshake. Yes. Orion held out his hand once he was standing in front of his father.
Tom looked down at the proffered hand, reached out and used it to pull his son into a hug. Orion was surprised at first but quickly relaxed into the hug. This was his father. He was finally with his father again.
"Father," Orion said softly, holding onto Tom's robes. Tom smiled gently, "my son. You've grown up. I've missed so much of your life. Never again..."
They separated after a few minutes, Tom being the first to pull back. He glanced behind him at Harry and waved for him to join them. Harry approached them timidly. How do you introduce yourself to your long-lost brother?
"Orion, this is your brother," Tom introduced.
Orion smiled, of course he knew Harry, everyone in Hogwarts knew Harry, but Orion knew him in another way. Orion knew him from the Quidditch field. Harry was Gryffindor's seeker, but Orion was Slytherin's. When Orion had entered his second year at Hogwarts, Draco had begrudgingly admitted that Orion was a better seeker than him, forfeiting his position in the team for the Black heir. That didn't mean Draco wasn't in the team though, the Malfoy heir had become a beater instead. Ever since, the Slytherin-Gryffindor matches really depended on luck as both seekers had the same amount of talent.
"Should I yell Potter or Serpens when we play now?" Orion asked jokingly.
Harry grinned, "I think Black would do just fine, brother"
A loud bark of laughter escaped both boys, and Orion could already tell that he and his brother would be close.
Lucius cleared his throat behind them, gaining their attention, "I apologize for interrupting, but Serpens and I must make our way to the trial"
Orion nodded before pulling Harry into a hug, "give Dumbledork hell," he whispered in his brother's ear. Harry smiled, tightening his hold just a little before pulling away. Tom squeezed Harry's shoulder reassuringly before pushing him towards Lucius.
"Albus Dumbledore, do you consent to the use of Veritaserum?"
Dumbledore thought about it for a moment. Not consenting would immediately raise all the red flags he was trying to keep down. He would need to take the Veritaserum and rely only on half-truths. Unbeknownst to Dumbledore, the Judge was a trained Death Eater, already in full knowledge of the situation and ready to squirm the truth out of the old coot.
Upon the administration of the potion, the judge waited for a few moments, giving the potion time to work, before speaking, "I will start with simple questions to make sure it's working. What is your full name?"
"Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore"
"In what year were you born?"
"1881"
"Alright, it's working. Albus Dumbledore, is it true that you left Serpens Thomas Black, previously known as Harry James Potter, with abusive muggles?"
"Yes"
"Why did you do it?"
"To keep pretending that he was James and Lily Potter's son and make him emotionally weaker"
"Why?"
"So I can control him"
Almost everyone present in the room gasped. How could this be?
"Did you know that Harry Potter was actually the son of Bellatrix Black?"
"Yes"
"Why did you not send the child to the Malfoys?"
"Because they're Death Eaters and would have raised Harry in the dark side"
"Did you know that the Malfoys were found not guilty due to being Imperioed?"
"Yes"
"How did you acquire custody of Serpens Thomas Black?"
"I conducted a raid with the Order on Lestrange Manor. He was there. I took him"
"Did you know who he was?"
"Yes"
"Was his mother present in the manor when you took him?"
"Yes"
A wizard in the back of the room shouted then, "kidnap! He's kidnapped the child!"
"Silence!" The judge cried, "Dumbledore, were you planning on kidnapping the child or was it a spur of the moment decision?"
"I planned it"
"Was that the quest of the raid?"
"yes"
"Why did you kidnap Serpens?"
"Because it was a way to get to Voldemort"
"How so?"
"Voldemort is his father"
Another outraged cry broke forth, "objection! The man is delusional! The boy's father is Tom Riddle!"
The judge banged his hammer hard on his table, "I said silence!"
"Dumbledore, was there any other victims in the raid?"
"Yes"
"Who was it?"
"Polaris Black"
"Who's that?"
"The eldest child of Lord Voldemort and Bellatrix Black"
The judge banged his hammer again as the people began to murmur once more.
"What happened to Polaris?"
"Frank Longbottom killed her"
"Who else was on the raid?"
"Alice Longbottom, James Potter, Arthur Weasley"
"Drop your wands! Drop your wands!"
Five Aurors screamed as they broke down the house's door. The usually noisy house was unnaturally quiet as all seven kids were not present. The only two people in the house, the parents, dropped their wands, fear etched on the matriarch's face and passiveness on the patriarch's.
"Arthur Weasley, you are under arrest for being a part of an illegal raid, allowing a child to die, and kidnapping another. You have the right to remain silent"
"This is Healer Willis from St. Mungos. He'll conduct a few tests just to check your health. It's important to the investigation. Do you want me to stay here or wait outside?"
"Stay with me, please"
"Alright. I'll be right next to you"
Harry held onto Lucius' hand as Healer Willis aimed his wand at him, chanting a few spells. Finally, a self-writing quill wrote everything Harry was currently facing. After the quill finished writing, Healer Willis duplicated it, handing the duplicate to Lucius while sending the original off to the Ministry.
Lucius clenched his jaw as he read through the list.
Dehydration
Three broken ribs that didn't heal properly
Insomnia
Anemia
Malnourishment
Other signs of physical abuse
"Administer the Veritaserum. I will start with a few simple questions to make sure it's working. What is your name?"
"Arthur Weasley"
"In which year were you born?"
"1950"
"How many children do you have?"
"Seven"
"Good. It's working. Now, first question, were you present during the raid on Lestrange Manor dated June 17, 1981?"
"Yes"
"Were you aware that it was performed illegally?"
"Yes"
"What was your objective?"
"Guard James Potter as he secured the child"
"Did you know who the child was?"
"Yes"
"Why did you not report this to the Ministry?"
"They would have returned the boy to his family. I didn't want him to grow dark"
"Do you have proof that he would have grown to become a dark wizard?"
"No"
"How did you conclude that Serpens would have grown dark?"
"Everyone knows the Malfoys are dark"
"What was the roles of the others who went with you?"
"Frank Longbottom had to deal with the other child. Alice Longbottom had to guard Frank. James Potter had to secure the boy. Albus Dumbledore went after Bellatrix Black"
"Were you aware that Polaris was killed?"
"Yes"
"Why did you not report it?"
"It would have blown our cover"
"Why did you go after Bellatrix Black and her children?"
"They're You-know-who's family"
"Do you have proof?"
"No"
A red haired fourteen-year-old growled as he threw the newspaper he was reading in the fireplace. He turned to look at his other siblings. "Dad would never do such a thing," he growled.
"Ron, he was questioned under Veritaserum," his brother spoke as he turned to look at his twin.
"George is right, Ron. Dad answered all his answers under Veritaserum, in court," the twin spoke.
"Still," the fourth, a girl, spoke, "we can't just accept this"
"Administer the Veritaserum. I'll ask simple questions to make sure it's working. What's your full name?"
"Serpens Thomas Black"
"When were you born?"
"July 31st, 1980"
"It's working, let's continue. Did you know you were not Harry Potter before you contacted the Malfoys?"
"Yes"
"How did you know?"
"I did the test myself"
"Why?"
"I wanted to make sure my parents were James and Lily Potter," it was not technically a lie. Half-truths are your way out, that's what Uncle Lucius said.
"Did you know Albus Dumbledore was your magical guardian?"
"No"
"Did Albus Dumbledore ever visit you while you were staying with the muggle family?"
"No"
"It says here you were abused. Is that true?"
"Yes"
"What did the muggles do to you?"
"They locked me in a cupboard and made me sleep there. They locked me in there for days without food or water. They didn't allow me to eat with them. They gave me hard chores to do throughout the whole day and punished me if I didn't finish them all and make dinner by the end of the day. They made me clean their house spotless. They made me weed the garden. They beat me sometimes. Dudley beat me with his friends. They forced me to fail at school. They didn't allow me to have friends. They didn't give me proper clothing. They punished me for accidental magic. They punished me for Dudley's mistakes. They didn't tell me about magic."
"What was the muggle family's name?"
"Dursley"
Sirens blared as police cars came to a stop in front of a little house in Privet Drive, Little Whining, Surrey. Police Officers broke the door and forced their way inside the house. A horse faced woman screamed as a purple faced walrus stormed into the living room. Their son, a fat pig-like boy whose face was covered in chocolate looked up in annoyance from the television.
"Vernon Dursley, you are under arrest for abuse of a minor! You have the right to remain silent!" An Officer said as he handcuffed the walrus.
"Administer the Veritaserum. I'll start by asking a few simple questions. What is your name?"
"Molly Weasley"
"In what year were you born?"
"1950"
"It's working. Mrs. Weasley, were you aware of your husband's actions on the night of June 17, 1981?"
"No. He told me he had the night shift"
"Were you aware that Harry James Potter was actually Serpens Thomas Black?"
"No"
"Why did you care for Harry Potter?"
"Because he was a poor little dear who suffered more than he should. And he was friends with my son, Ron"
"Did you ever suspect that Serpens was not actually Harry?"
"No"
"Did you ever suspect your husband was up to illegal activity?"
"No"
"I believe we should hold another trial for Ms. Black, considering everything that has been brought to light. All of this was unknown when her trial was held. In fact, her trial was controlled by Dumbledore to a large degree"
"I agree, Lord Nott, these factors would have greatly changed the outcome of the first trial had they been present. I shall suggest this as this trial draws to a close"
"Administer the Veritaserum. I will ask simple questions now to make sure that it is working. What is your name?"
"Narcissa Malfoy"
"When were you born?"
"1955"
"How many children do you have?"
"One"
"Good. It's working. First question, Mrs. Malfoy, did you know your sister had children?"
"Yes"
"Do you know who the children's father is?"
"Yes"
"Who is he?"
"Tom Marvolo Riddle"
"Who is Tom Marvolo Riddle?"
"He's a half-blood, much older than my sister, that's why we don't speak about him. My sister fell for a half-blood and had bastards with him instead of marrying Rodolphus Lestrange"
"Did you care for your nephew and niece?"
"I loved them with all my heart. They were like my own"
"Did you know what happened to them on June 17, 1981?"
"Yes"
"What happened to your sister's children?"
"Polaris was killed by Frank Longbottom. We didn't know what happened to Serpens until he found us again. He was kidnapped by James Potter. The third, Orion, is living in my care"
"Do you care about Serpens?"
"I love him just as I love my son"
A small boy shook with sobs in his room as he listened to his grandmother rage in the room next door. He couldn't believe his father would do such a thing. He couldn't believe his father had killed an innocent child. He couldn't believe his mother was in on it. He had spent his whole life feeling angry at Bellatrix Black for driving his parents insane with the Cruciatus. Now, he discovers his parents had killed her daughter.
"This draws the end of the trial regarding the kidnapping of Serpens Thomas Black. Lords, you have a few more minutes to determine whether you believe Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore is guilty or not," the judge spoke solemnly in front of the lords of the Wizengamot. "Voting in regards to the charge of kidnapping. Lords, light your wands now"
With the exception of a few, all the wands were lit red at the tip. The judge nodded solemnly, "by clear majority, Dumbledore is considered guilty. Voting in regards to the charge of negligence…"
Again, almost all the wands were red tipped. "By clear majority, Dumbledore is considered guilty. Voting in regards to the charge of breaking and entering… "
This time, more wands were blue, but the majority was still obviously red. "By clear majority, Dumbledore is considered guilty. Voting in regards to the charge of ordering murder…"
Once more, nearly all the wands in the room were an angry red. "By clear majority, Dumbledore is considered guilty. This concludes the trial of Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. Albus Dumbledore, you have been found guilty in all charges filed against you. You shall serve forty years in Azkaban for breaking and entering, negligence, kidnapping, and ordering murder"
Next to Dumbledore stood Arthur Weasley, who had also been found guilty in regards to breaking and entering, kidnapping, and breaking the law, to which he was supposed to serve fifteen years in Azkaban.
Arthur turned to look at Dumbledore nervously. What will they do now? He had a family to get back to, to explain to. He couldn't just leave them. He stared at Dumbledore and the old man finally turned to him. The look in his eyes clearly told Arthur to just go along with the act, go down to the dungeons, Dumbledore had a plan, and he would find out what it was later.
As the convicts were taken away, the judge stood up and called for the attention of the lords,
"Lords, I would like to suggest reopening the case of Bellatrix Black, as this trial has brought forth information not available when Ms. Black was tried"
There was a great murmur as the lords decided what they wanted to do. After the noise settled down, the judge called for order and spoke, "Another vote should seal this, all those voting in favor of reopening Ms. Bellatrix Black's case…"
For the first time that day, just about all the wands in the room were held blue.
Quick question (s),
1) How do you think the others will react to all that has happened?
2) What do you think is Dumbledore's plan?
3) What do you think Bellatrix will be like after she's released from Azkaban?
4) What would you like to see happen?
Reviews always welcome :)
